Generally, electrical connectors include some form of dielectric housing or chassis for mounting one or more conductive electrical terminals. Typically, the terminals have a contact end and a terminating end. The terminating end is electrically terminated to conductors with which the connector is electrically associated. The contact end is adapted for engaging a contact of an appropriate mating connector or other mating electronic device. The terminating end of the terminal(s) can be terminated to a discrete electrical wire or to circuit traces on a printed circuit board, for instance.
In some connector applications, it is desirable or necessary to spring-load at least the contact end or portion of the terminal(s). This can be accomplished by fabricating a portion of the terminal with hard or spring tempered metal and then forming the terminal portion into a spring configuration. Another approach is to fabricate the terminal as a multi-part component wherein the spring is a separate part of the terminal assembly. An example of the latter type of terminal is a "pogo-pin" terminal which typically is fabricated of three parts, namely a housing for a separate spring which biases a separate contact end of the terminal. Such multi-part terminals create problems in both the cost of the assembly as well as its reliability.
In other connector applications, terminals are used in sealed environments, such as in battery connector applications. In other words, a spring-loaded terminal contact may project through a sealing grommet and move relative thereto while maintaining a seal with the grommet. In such applications, the contact end or portion of the terminal often is a closed-ended or dome-shaped structure which can be readily sealed about the periphery thereof. A multi-part "pogo-pin" terminal assembly often is used in such applications notwithstanding the problems mentioned above.
The present invention is directed to solving the various problems discussed above by a one-piece electrical terminal which is both spring loaded and includes an easily sealable contact end, such as a dome-shaped end.